Blackjack Basic Strategy For Hands Totaling Hard Nine (9)

How to Play a Hard Nine Total in Blackjack - Hard 9

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Hard hands: Hard 8 or less - Hard 9 - Hard 10 - Hard 11 - Hard 12 - Hard 13 - 16 - Hard 17 to 21

Soft hands: Soft 13 - 14 - Soft 15 - 16 - Soft 17 - Soft 18 - Soft 19 to 21

Splitting pairs: Aces - 2's - 3's - 4's - 5's - 6's - 7's - 8's - 9's - 10's

Playing a Hard 9

Double down if the dealer is showing a 3, 4, 5, or 6.

Otherwise take a hit.

Reasoning

Most of basic strategy assumes you'll be dealt a ten, since there are more of them in the deck than any other card. If you're holding a nine, and you get dealt a ten, then your total is nineteen.

A nineteen is a very solid hand, and combined with the potential for the dealer to bust, makes it a profitable place to double down. (Basic strategy almost always assumes that the dealer's downcard is also a ten, which is why 3, 4, 5, and 6 are probably going to make a stiff hand for the dealer.)